"T
      AM
      A
      CANADIAN"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      X-Press
      was
      visited
      recently
      by
      renowned
      Canadian
     
     
      journalist
      and
      broadcaster
      Joel
      W.
      Aldred.
      Mr.
      Aldred
      is
     
     
      currently
      touring
      the
      country
      in
      an
      effort
      to
      heighten
      public
     
     
      consciousness
      with
      respect
      to
      national
      unity.
      The
      former
     
     
      R.C.A.F.
      pilot,
      war
      hero,
      and
      Prime
      Ministerial
      confidant
     
     
      has
      a
      broad
      and
      distinguished
      career
      which
      encompassess
     
     
      different
      facets
      of
      public
      service,
      recently
      acting
      as
      chair;
     
     
      man
      of
      the
      Communication
      Information
      Committee
      of
      the
     
     
      National
      Council
      on
      Aging.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      centerpiece
      of
      the
      tour
      is
      a
      poem
      composed
      by
      Aldred
      in
     
     
      1967,
      on
      the
      occasion
      of
      Canada’s
      centennial.
      Entitled
      ‘‘I
     
     
      AmA
      Canadian,’’
      the
      poem
      (printed
      at
      right)
      addresses
      the
     
     
      multicultural
      history
      of
      Canada
      and
      the
      people
      who
      have
     
     
      ‘‘provided
      the
      soul’’
      to
      fill
      the
      expanse
      of
      its
      physical
     
     
      landscape.
      Penned
      with
      the
      purpose
      of
      making
      a
      unique
     
     
      contribution
      to
      the
      nation’s
      centennial
      celebrations,
      Aldred
     
     
      says
      he
      wanted
      avoid
      a
      ‘‘syrupy’’
      tribute
      or
      one
      laden
      with
     
     
      ‘‘platitudes.’’
      The
      inspiration
      for
      the
      poem
      came
      partly
     
     
      from
      the
      1960
      Bill
      of
      Rights,
      and
      partly
      from
      an
      obscure
     
     
      quotation
      by
      American
      president
      James
      Garfield,
      who
     
     
      observed
      that
      ‘‘Territory.is
      but
      the
      body
      ofa
      nation...The
     
     
      people
      who
      inhabit
      its
      hills
      and
      valleys
      are
      the
      soul.’’
      The
     
     
      point
      of
      ethnic
      diversity
      is
      also
      achieved
      in
      Aldred’s
      poem,
     
     
      as
      he
      notes
      that
      it
      begins
      before
      the
      literal
      history
      of
      Canada
     
     
      as
      anation.
      Through
      mention
      of
      the
      ‘
      ‘primitive
      hunter’’
      and
     
     
      ‘*Renaissance
      navigators’’
      Aldred
      manages
      to
      ‘“capsulize
     
     
      the
      basic
      background
      of
      humanity
      in
      Canada.’’
      Aldred
      also
     
     
      notes
      that,
      owing
      to
      its
      unifying
      theme
      --
      vis
      a
      vis
      drawing
     
     
      together
      the
      threads
      of
      Canada’s
      cultural
      mosaic
      --
      the
      poem
     
     
      is
      ‘‘more
      significant
      now
      than
      ever
      before.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Addressing
      the
      issue
      of
      constitutional
      renewal,
      Aldred
     
     
      cautions
      that
      the
      present
      constitutional
      agreement
      is
      “‘nota
     
     
      done
      deal,’’
      and
      that
      a
      Yes
      vote
      in
      October
      would
      merely
      be
     
     
      a
      license
      to
      proceed
      with
      further
      negotiations.
      ‘‘Itis
      going
     
     
      to
      require
      a
      political
      Einstein
      to
      work
      out
      the
      differences
     
     
      [between
      the
      parties
      involved]...we
      have
      yet
      to
      define
      the
     
     
      final
      terms
      of
      the
      new
      agreement’’
      declares
      Aldred,
      com-
     
     
      menting
      on
      the
      deal’s
      resolution
      of
      particularly
      contentious
     
     
      issues,
      such
      as
      the
      question
      of
      aboriginal
      self-government.
     
     
      When
      asked
      how
      the
      current
      feeling
      of
      nationalist
      sentiment
     
     
      in
      Quebec
      compares
      with
      previous
      years,
      Aldred
      replied
      that
     
     
      ‘*Separation
      is
      not
      new...In
      any
      society
      there
      are
     
     
      dissidents...[a
      primary]
      question
      regarding
      a
      separate
      Quebec
     
     
      is
      where
      are
      the
      financial
      tradeoffs
      going
      to
      be?’’
      He
      also
     
     
      adds
      that
      the
      nationalist
      feeling
      in
      Quebec
      has
      been
      ‘‘driven
     
     
      from
      different
      perspectives;
      from
      different
      leaders.’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      These
      variances
      in
      political
      resolve
      are
      not
      the
      focus
      of
     
     
      Aldred’s
      poem,
      however.
      He
      maintains
      that
      the
      re-issuing
      of
     
     
      the
      poem
      is
      not
      a
      politically
      oriented
      venture.
      His
      motiva-
     
     
      tion
      is
      not
      to
      influence
      the
      outcome
      of
      the
      constitutional
     
     
      referendum,
      but
      rather
      to
      ‘‘buttress
      a
      feeling
      of
      national
     
     
      unity’’
      which
      lies
      latent
      i
      am
      a
      national
      mensiaet
      where
      ‘‘patri-
     
     
      otism
      has
      slender
      value.’
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tam
      the
      primitive
      hunter
      who
      first
      crossed
      the
      Bering
     
     
      Isthmus
      from
      Asia.
      I
      came
      seeking
      game,
      and
      never
     
     
      knew
      what
      I
      had
      really
      found.
      I
      am
      the
      lonely
      explorer
     
     
      who
      ventured
      the
      edges
      of
      a
      new
      world.
      I
      am
      the
      people
     
     
      of
      coast
      and
      plain
      whose
      history
      was
      forgotten
      before
     
     
      the
      invention
      of
      History.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Iam
      the
      Norsemen
      who
      sailed
      beyond
      Iceland
      at
      the
     
     
      time
      of
      the
      Crusades.
      The
      men
      who
      returned
      home,
      not
     
     
      with
      Saracen
      Plunder,
      but
      with
      stories
      of
      a
      land
      past
      the
     
     
      sea.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      am
      the
      Renaissance
      navigators
      who
      came
      in
      search
      of
     
     
      gold
      and
      empire,
      and
      discovered
      a
      deeper,
      more
     
    

    
     
      difficult
      wealth.
      I
      am
      the
      priests
      and
      peasants
      uprooted
     
     
      from
      the
      old
      world
      and
      replanted
      in
      the
      new
      as
      a
      pledge.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Iam
      the
      strip
      farmers,
      the
      trappers,
      the
      traders
      who
     
     
      pushed
      back
      the
      curtain
      on
      this
      green
      and
      untried
     
     
      continent.
      Iam
      the
      men
      who
      roamed
      and
      mapped
      and
     
     
      settled,
      the
      men
      who
      left
      their
      sons
      to
      the
      future,
      and
      the
     
     
      men
      who
      left
      only
      their
      graves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Iam
      the
      steady
      men
      who
      sowed
      and
      reaped,
      who
      built
     
     
      lasting
      foundations.
      I
      am
      the
      impatient
      men
      who
      fought
     
     
      with
      guns
      and
      pens
      and
      politics
      for
     
    

    
     
      self-determination.
      I
      am
      the
      indomitable
      men
      who
     
     
      would
      not
      be
      stopped
      as
      they
      hammered
      together
      a
     
     
      nation.
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      have
      walked
      this
      land,
      ridden,
      driven,
      flown
      and
      paddled
     
     
      across
      her
      millions
      and
      more
      millions
      of
      miles.
     
    

    
     
      Ihave
      blasted
      her
      rocks,
      channeled
      her
      waterways,
     
     
      survived
      her
      snows.
      I
      have
      run
      my
      hands
      over
      her
      face,
     
     
      searching
      out
      the
      strengths
      and
      beauties
      and
      moods
      of
     
    

    
     
      my
      country.
      She
      is
      rich,
      wild,
      potent.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      came
      from
      all
      the
      world,
      and
      come
      yet.
      I
      came
      for
     
     
      freedom,
      and
      brought
      freedom
      with
      me.
      I
      came
      in
      hope,
     
     
      and
      brought
      fulfilment.
      I
      came
      to
      exploit,
      and
      stayed
      to
     
     
      develop.
      I
      gave
      myself
      in
      barter
      for
      what
      I
      sought.
      In
     
     
      measure
      as
      I
      have
      made
      Canada
      what
      she
      is,
      she
      has
     
     
      formed
      me
      to
      her
      own
      needs.
      Her
      breadth
      and
      openness
     
     
      have
      infused
      me,
      have
      given
      me
      a
      firmer
      step
      and
      a
     
     
      farther
      look
      in
      the
      eye.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      am
      not
      the
      Average
      Canadian.
      There
      are
      no
      average
     
     
      Canadians,
      and
      this
      is
      my
      country's
      glory.
      Itis
      the
      surest
     
     
      measure
      of
      her
      freedom
      to
      be
      a
      nation
      of
      individuals,
     
     
      people
      who
      are
      Canadian
      by
      nature
      rather
      than
      by
     
    

    
     
      decree.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      am
      a
      Canadian,
      I
      am
      deeply
      myself.
      For
      this
      priviledge
     
     
      I
      give
      thanks
      to
      my
      country.
      May
      she
      never
      falter,
      and
     
     
      may
      she
      never
      swagger.
      May
      she
      realize
      her
      potential
     
     
      without
      losing
      her
      character.
      May
      she
      have
      peace,
      and
     
     
      may
      she
      give
      it.
      May
      it
      always
      be
      a
      proud
      thing
      to
      say:
      I
     
     
      AMACANADIAN.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      17,
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      13